First credit cards compared
Worked out on ₹10,000 a month, a typical first-card budget: ₹2,000 in each card's best category and ₹8,000 elsewhere. At ₹1.2 lakh a year, IndianOil HDFC's ₹500 fee is waived (it needs just ₹50,000).
| Card | Joining / annual fee | Fee waived at | Top rate | Value a month | Net a year |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Amazon Pay ICICI Bank Credit CardICICI Bank | Lifetime free | – | 5%Amazon (Prime) | ₹1801.8% overall | ₹2,160no fee to pay |
| IndianOil HDFC Bank Credit CardHDFC Bank | ₹500 / ₹500 | ₹50,000 a year | 4.8%Groceries and bills | ₹1471.47% overall | ₹1,766no fee to pay |
| FIRST Millennia Credit CardIDFC FIRST Bank | Lifetime free | – | 1.25%Dining, travel, international | ₹550.55% overall | ₹660no fee to pay |
| FIRST WOW! Credit CardIDFC FIRST Bank | Lifetime free | – | 0.5%International spends | ₹500.5% overall | ₹600no fee to pay |
| Platinum Chip Credit CardICICI Bank | Lifetime free | – | 0.5%Retail spends | ₹500.5% overall | ₹600no fee to pay |
Each card in detail
Amazon Pay ICICI Bank Credit Card · ICICI Bank
No fee at all and no cap on the Amazon rewards
- Rewards
- 5% on Amazon.in for Prime members (3% without Prime), 2% at Amazon Pay partner merchants and 1% elsewhere, all unlimited; points are worth ₹1 each on Amazon.
- Fees
- No joining or annual feeLifetime free
- Forex markup
- 1.99% on foreign currency spends
- Who can apply
- 21 or older with income of at least ₹30,000 a month
- Best for
- Amazon Prime members
Checked on the ICICI Bank page on 6 October 2026.
IndianOil HDFC Bank Credit Card · HDFC Bank
Free fuel at IndianOil for a low ₹500 fee, waived on just ₹50,000 a year
- Rewards
- 5% as Fuel Points at IndianOil pumps (up to 250 points a month for the first 6 months, then 150), 5% on groceries and bill payments (up to 100 points a month each) and 1 point per ₹150 elsewhere. A Fuel Point is worth ₹0.96 in free fuel at IndianOil, but only ₹0.20 against the bill.
- Fees
- Joining ₹500, annual ₹500 + GST; next year's fee waived on ₹50,000 of spends a year
- Forex markup
- 3.5% on foreign currency spends
- Who can apply
- Salaried: 21–60 years, net income above ₹12,000 a month
- Best for
- IndianOil customers and first-time cardholders
Checked on the HDFC Bank page on 6 October 2026.
FIRST Millennia Credit Card · IDFC FIRST Bank
No annual fee and no forex markup
- Rewards
- 10 points per ₹200 on dining, travel, international spends and on your birthday (1.25%), 3 points per ₹200 on most other spends (0.375%) and 1 point per ₹200 on utilities, insurance, railways and FASTag; 1 point = ₹0.25. Nothing on fuel or EMIs.
- Fees
- No joining or annual feeLifetime free; ₹99 + GST per reward redemption
- Lounges
- Railway lounges only: 4 visits a quarter after ₹20,000 of spends in the previous month
- Forex markup
- None
- Best for
- A first card that also works abroad
Checked on the IDFC FIRST Bank page on 6 October 2026.
FIRST WOW! Credit Card · IDFC FIRST Bank
No income proof or credit history needed: the card is backed by your FD
- Rewards
- 4 points per ₹200 on online, offline and international spends (0.5%) and 1 point per ₹200 on utilities, insurance, FASTag and railways; 1 point = ₹0.25. Nothing on fuel or EMIs.
- Fees
- No joining or annual feeLifetime free; needs a fixed deposit of at least ₹20,000 with the bank
- Forex markup
- None
- Who can apply
- 18–80 years, an FD of ₹20,000 or more; no income proof or credit history
- Best for
- Students, homemakers and anyone with no credit history
Checked on the IDFC FIRST Bank page on 6 October 2026.
Platinum Chip Credit Card · ICICI Bank
A plain no-fee card from a large bank
- Rewards
- 2 points per ₹100 on retail spends and 1 point per ₹100 on utilities and insurance; at the 25 paise a point ICICI uses on its HPCL card, that is about 0.5% back. 1% fuel surcharge waiver at HPCL pumps.
- Fees
- No joining or annual feeLifetime free
- Forex markup
- 3.5% on foreign currency spends
- Who can apply
- 21–65 years
- Best for
- Building a credit history at no cost
Checked on the ICICI Bank page on 6 October 2026.
Secured cards: a card against a fixed deposit
A secured card is issued against a fixed deposit you keep with the bank, so it needs no income proof or credit history. The FD keeps earning interest, the card reports to the credit bureaus like any other, and after a year of on-time payments you can apply for an unsecured card. IDFC FIRST WOW! needs an FD of ₹20,000 or more and is open to anyone aged 18 to 80.
Five habits that build a good credit score
- Pay the total amount due, not the minimum, by the due date; set up an auto-debit.
- Use less than about 30% of your limit by the statement date.
- Do not withdraw cash on the card: interest starts at once, with a fee on top.
- Apply for one card at a time; several applications in a short span count against you.
- Keep your first card open: an older account lengthens your credit history.
Your rights as a cardholder
RBI's card directions protect you: a bank cannot issue or upgrade a card without your explicit consent, must let you change the billing cycle at least once, and must close your card within seven working days of your request (once dues are cleared) or pay you ₹500 a day for the delay.
How we compared these cards
Every fee, reward rate and cap here was read on the issuing bank's own website on 6 October 2026; each card links to the page we checked. Where a figure could not be confirmed on the bank's site, the card is left out. Points are converted to rupees at the value the bank itself states, and the "value a month" and "net a year" columns apply each card's caps to the spending described above the table. Surcharge waivers, welcome vouchers and milestone gifts are left out of those columns.
SmartFigure earns nothing from these cards. There are no affiliate links and no paid placements, and the order comes only from the arithmetic. This is not a recommendation: banks revise card terms often, so read the current terms on the bank's site before you apply.
Frequently asked questions
Which credit card is easiest to get with no credit history?
A card backed by a fixed deposit. IDFC FIRST WOW! needs an FD of at least ₹20,000 with the bank and no income proof or credit history, and it is lifetime free. Paying it on time for 6 to 12 months builds the history that unsecured cards ask for.
What is the minimum salary for a credit card?
It varies by card. Among the cards here, IndianOil HDFC asks for a net income above ₹12,000 a month for salaried applicants, Amazon Pay ICICI for at least ₹30,000 a month, and HDFC Millennia for more than ₹35,000. FD-backed cards need no income proof at all.
Can students get a credit card?
Students without income can get an FD-backed card such as IDFC FIRST WOW! (from age 18), or an add-on card on a parent’s account. Unsecured cards need proof of income.
How much of my limit should I use?
Keep your balance well below the limit. On a ₹50,000 limit, staying under about ₹15,000 at statement time keeps your utilisation around 30% or less, which credit scores favour.
What happens if I pay only the minimum due?
You avoid a late fee, but interest is charged on the whole balance from the purchase date, at up to 3.75% a month (Axis Bank and ICICI Bank’s rate), and you lose the interest-free period on new purchases until the balance is cleared. Always pay the total due.
Can I change my card’s billing date?
Yes. RBI’s card directions require banks to let you change the billing cycle at least once, so you can line the due date up with your salary.
Sources
- ICICI Bank – Amazon Pay ICICI Bank Credit Card
- HDFC Bank – IndianOil HDFC Bank Credit Card
- IDFC FIRST Bank – FIRST Millennia Credit Card
- IDFC FIRST Bank – FIRST WOW! Credit Card
- ICICI Bank – Platinum Chip Credit Card
- RBI – Master Direction on Credit Card and Debit Card Issuance and Conduct, 2022
Last checked on 6 October 2026. Not a recommendation. Card terms and eligibility change often; read the current terms on the bank's website before applying. SmartFigure earns nothing from any card.